There wasn’t any damage from shipping. The elk thread is adjustable, which I don’t mind. I’ve been having a little user error in twisting the thread over time (probably due to having more experience with non-adjustable necklaces), but that’s a very minor issue that I’ll just figure out or ignore at some point.

There’s something about the tactile and visual aspects that I’ve found I really like. It’s simple, not heavy, and it handles satisfactorily. Y’know when you’re worried or nervous about something, and you repetitively rub or finger an object? This is good for that. (The Raido pendant was bought to be near me, while this was bought to be worn.)

I haven’t been extremely close to Thor, but it has seemed like it’s a bit easier to contact Him and tell when He’s around when I’m wearing this. When I was looking at the choices on Etsy, I kept thinking that a more detailed Mjolnir would surely be better, but there’s something about the simplicity of this that feels more like Thor. It feels a bit more like I’ve joined the common ranks of those protected by Thor, in a way.

As a Deity associated with storms, rain, and thunder, He still appreciates being hailed during those weather events. In a manner similar to how Frey helps the sunlight (indiscriminately shown upon everyone) to reach plants (described here), I think Thor can do something similar with the rain. While it was already in my face, I didn’t make the connection that Thor may have once been Vanic, or at least can be Vanic-compatible, until I read Visions of Vanaheim. The chapter “Thoughts on the Thunderer” (pg 176 – 179) covers how there’s a Vanic connection with Thor, and I can’t deny that it makes sense as to why He’s been the main One of the Aesir to want to stick around as I’ve been pushed more towards definitively named Vanir. There is more to Thor than just the stormy connection, and I’ve wound up being reminded of His protective Hat.

As the Protector of Midgard, I’ve ended up picking up an association that He can help to keep us here, particularly if it’s tied into personal protection. Except for a few dreams that may have featured some part of me being Elsewhere, I’m discouraged from traveling to other Realms / Worlds by the sheer inability for my hardwiring to accommodate travel. However, I’ve found that particularly in certain religious contexts describing how serious (life-threateningly serious) this past winter was in terms of my seasonal depression with ‘I walked the Hel-road’ isn’t an inappropriate metaphor. Even though it wasn’t traveling in a manner that most people mean when they talk about journeying, I have found myself needing to make sure that I stay in Midgard with some help from Thor’s Protective Hat.

(I intend to try to cover the seasonal depression in a separate post, but please, don’t assume that I’m not taking “real world” actions with this. This is something that affects me and my ability to interact with my Deities, so including a religiously significant means of coping in my overall management plan is appropriate for me.) I haven’t acquired the specific one I’ve had my eye on, and have so far received affirmative divination responses on from Thor, but I do plan on acquiring a Mjolnir (Thor’s Hammer). It will be a wearable means of protection, and I have personally significant dates relating to renewing the protection associated with it.

[I’m sharing how I’ve known and interacted with Everyone, starting with the Aesir. The Vanir will be next, then the Rokkr, and then the category where I put those Who don’t seem to pick just one category.]

I probably just introduced myself to Him in the beginning because I was being polite, or something. I really don’t have an overwhelming clear memory of why I decided to interact with Him. In the past, I’ve described Him with:

It’s a bit hard to describe, but He’s kind of like a stranger who is borderline acquaintance. I do my thing during the week, and He does His, but I have this feeling that in a hypothetical bar where a Deity and human could interact He’d be okay with drinking something in a comfortable silence on a Friday night. If that makes sense.

I still feel like this holds true, actually. I’ve been hailing Him whenever it rains, thunders, storms, etc. in whatever capacity from the beginning, though I do believe I initially started out with a simple nod of acknowledgement on Thursdays as well. While I’m hoping to just talk about holy days in one future post, I do a 12 days of Yule thing starting on the winter solstice; Thor has asked to be hailed on the 3rd day of Yule.

He has accepted my practicum hours as an offering in the past, and this post explains what I mean by “practicum hours” for those who haven’t run into this before. I basically put in hours working in a theatrical crew shop, which does count as a class and result in a grade, each semester as part of my major. From a post talking about an update in what He asked me to do:

Strength training is going to be added to what I do for Him. First, I need to tackle yoga as Sunna has asked for (because this will provide warm-up and stretching exercises for other stuff). A certain amount of weight training will be included, but it will focus more on what I can safely do with what I have at home rather than needing to go to a gym. (Or this may be what happens in practicum while I’m on campus.)

Weight loss and how I look are not important and/or relevant. My goal is to be able to meet the strength requirements that I will run into during a typical day without excess struggle and/or causing injury. It’s about practicality, not “exercise”. (He’s aware of the fact that I thought gym class was hell and I have no desire to try to kill my body through exercise, by the way.

He’ll also accept other activity that helps to build endurance, like walking, taking certain sets of stairs (like all the ones in my dorm because there’s apparently no elevator in it), and occasionally walking up Jeff or Morton Hill (I’m quite certain He would prefer Jeff).

A picture from the top of Jeff Hill in the winter. (And people try to say Ohio doesn’t get snow.)

I lived in the dorm at the bottom of the hill (Jeff Hall, Jeff Hill, who’d have thought there was a connection, right?) this past year, and I’ll be returning to it this upcoming school year. I don’t have a physical shrine / altar for Him, but I do have two tumblr tags: Thor and lightning.